Scott AFB youngster wins $500 Exchange gift card for academic excellence

For 15-year-old Dylan Hughs, hard work has paid off—literally.

On Aug. 1, the O’Fallon resident was presented with a $500 gift card, the third-place prize in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s You Made the Grade sweepstakes, at the Scott Air Force Base Exchange.

“I didn’t think they’d have the balloons and everything for me,” Dylan said. “They made it seem like I was famous.”

Through the You Made the Grade program, first- through 12th-graders who maintain a B average or higher are eligible to receive a coupon book filled with Exchange discounts and a sweepstakes entry form for a shot at a $2,000, $1,500 or $500 Exchange gift card.

Hughs attends O’Fallon Township High School, where his favorite subject is math. He also plays baseball and is active in Boy Scouts. He returned from the National Scout Jamboree in Mount Hope, West Virginia just a few days before he received his gift card.

“I’m very proud of him,” said Jennifer Hughs, Dylan’s mother. “It makes me feel good that he cares about his grades. When I talk to people about it, they say, ‘Wow, people really do win those things.’”

When not in school, Dylan Hughs enjoys coin collecting and camping. His father, Air Force Reserve Maj. Robert Hughs, has served for nine years.

Rita Sheridan, general manager of the Scott AFB Exchange, said the Exchange is more than happy to present Dylan with such an award.

“The Exchange salutes the hard work and determination of students like Dylan,” Sheridan said. “Despite the frequent moves and everyday stressors that go along with military life, Dylan has set an example of academic achievement for his peers.”

This story was originally published August 10, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Scott AFB youngster wins $500 Exchange gift card for academic excellence."